Footnotes

PROVENANCE:Purchased from Fabergé's London branch by Stanislaus Poklewski-Koziel on 25 September 25 1908 Presented by Princess Victoria (1868-1935) in 1933 to the late John Nivison, 2nd Baron Glendyne of Sanquhar (1878-1967)Thence by descent

The cigarette case was originally purchased from Fabergé's London branch on 25 September 1908 for the astonishing sum of £155 by Stanislaus Poklewski-Koziel, a Councillor at the Imperial Russian Embassy in London. According to Bainbridge, this client maintained friendly terms with King Edward VII and moved in aristocratic circles, prolifically distributing gifts from Fabergé wherever he was hosted.

As a point of comparison to the £155 spent on the proposed lot, a few months later, in December 1908, Poklewski-Koziel bought the most expensive flower study at the London branch, preserved today in the Royal Collection. The chrysanthemum, purchased for £117, was a fitting gift to Queen Alexandra, Edward VII's consort, who came to own twenty-two of the twenty-six flower studies in the Royal Collection.

It is likely that the cigarette case was gifted by Poklewski-Koziel to a prominent member of the British Royal family after which it passed through to Edward VII's daughter, Princess Victoria (1868-1935). By the time of her death in 1935, it had been presented to John Nivison, 2nd Baron Glendyne of Sanquhar (1878-1967).

John Nivison was born on 14 March 1878 and succeeded to the title 2nd Baron Glendyne of Sanquhar on 14th June 1930. He died on 28 January 1967. The title of Baronet had been created, in 1914, for John's father, Robert Nivison, founder of R Nivison & Co. (a stockbrokerage which acted extensively for the governments of the Dominions) for services to the British and Dominion governments. In 1922, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Glendyne of Sanquhar.

John Nivison had a property, Herontye, in East Grinstead which he acquired in 1926, and also kept a residence (after a programme of extensive re-modelling) at 8 Upper Grosvenor Street, London SW between 1928 and 1936.

Within Lord Glendyne's collection were a group of objects boxed separately from his other chattels and known within the family as 'The Royal Pieces'. The proposed cigarette case gifted by Princess Victoria features prominently amongst other items connected with the Royal Family. Lord Glendyne acted as one of two executors of the estate of Princess Victoria upon her death in December 1935 and was rewarded by tokens of appreciation for his services by her brother King George V.

We are grateful to William Lowes for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.

This auction is now finished. If you are interested in consigning in future auctions, please contact the specialist department. If you have queries about lots purchased in this auction, please contact customer services.

Buyers' Obligations

ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.

If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.